Babies in the college classroom—ugh.
Bringing your child to class is sort of like too much PDA. I’m sure it’s fun and convenient for you, but it’s extremely distracting for everyone else around you. It’s kind of cute at first, but it gets old and uncomfortable real fast. A classroom is a place for learning, and it’s not for wondering why that baby won’t stop squealing at the top of its lungs. It’s a place to stay focused, not a place to zone out while watching someone’s kid play with his Legos on the floor.
I know exactly how hard it is to be a full-time student and parent because I am a mother myself. Finding a sitter is one of the most important things I do, but it’s been buried by everything else on my to-do list. I’ve had to skip class once already this semester because I couldn’t find a sitter.
This is obviously problematic, and I don’t recommend anybody skip his or her classes for this reason. So what if you can’t afford a good sitter, don’t want to skip class, and don’t feel comfortable bringing your child with you? The solution is simple: Dixie State University should offer a day care for students’ children while they attend classes.
Although there’s a preschool on campus, it’s only for children who are three and four years old.
Teresa Provost, an instructor for the on-campus preschool, said there have been discussions in the past about bringing a day care to campus for student use. She said a day care would benefit students immensely, but it just hasn’t happened yet.
“I’m sure it’s all about money because [DSU] would have to have a facility, insure it and pay for someone to be there,” she said. “It wouldn’t be cost-effective.”
Provost said there aren’t many day cares in St. George that offer services for only an hour or so, and the parent is typically required to pay for the whole day no matter how long the child is actually there. This can get expensive fast, especially for students who are on a budget.
If DSU had a day care on campus that allowed for a service like this, many students with children would take advantage. I know a few women who haven’t returned to college after having a baby, and it’s possible an on-campus day care would help retain these students. It would be convenient, and it would help raise the graduation rate among women in the community.
Although I’m urging parents to keep their children out of the classroom, sometimes there isn’t any other option—and most students and professors realize that. The university needs to become more progressive and implement an on-campus day care in order for student parents to become successful in their academic endeavors.